Back Pay and Lost Wages Calculator
Estimate the total back pay and lost wages you may be owed due to wrongful termination, unpaid wages, discrimination, or other employment disputes. This calculator accounts for base wages, benefits, raises, and mitigation earnings.
Formulas Used
Lost Wages (with raises):
For each year n (0-indexed) in the loss period:
Lost Wages = Σ [ BaseAnnualWage × (1 + r)n × (days in year n / 365.25) ]
where r = annual raise rate (decimal).
Lost Benefits:
Lost Benefits = Monthly Benefits Value × (Total Days / 30.4375)
Gross Back Pay:
Gross Back Pay = Lost Wages + Lost Benefits + Additional Unpaid Wages
Net Back Pay:
Net Back Pay = max(0, Gross Back Pay − Total Mitigation Earnings)
where Total Mitigation = Monthly Mitigation × (Total Days / 30.4375)
Pre-Judgment Interest (simple):
Interest = Net Back Pay × (Annual Rate / 100) × (Total Days / 365.25)
Total Estimated Award:
Total Award = Net Back Pay + Pre-Judgment Interest
Assumptions & References
- Lost benefits should include the employer's share of health insurance premiums, 401(k) or pension contributions, paid time off, and other fringe benefits (see EEOC Enforcement Guidance on Remedies, 29 C.F.R. § 1614.501).
- Claimants have a legal duty to mitigate damages by seeking comparable employment. Mitigation earnings are subtracted from gross back pay (Ford Motor Co. v. EEOC, 458 U.S. 219 (1982)).